The Wisconsin state Capitol.
A state Assembly committee moved quickly Wednesday to advance legislation that gives parents a tax rebate and creates a state sales tax holiday.
Lawmakers held a hearing and then voted along party lines to move the bill out of committee, clearing the way for a possible floor vote. Democratic state Representative Melissa Sargent (D-Madison), who sits on the committee, said it’s being rushed through with very little time for debate as a campaign gimmick. “This piece of legislation feels very much like a last-ditch effort to buy votes,” she argued.
Assembly Republicans contend the $100 per child tax rebate, along with a proposed sales tax holiday in early August, are designed to return state savings back to the public.
While the Assembly could take up the legislation before it wraps up work for the year next week, the fate of the legislation in the state Senate remains uncertain. Governor Scott Walker has named passing the rebate provision is among his top priorities before lawmakers adjourn for the year.